Electro-medical chair



in Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. M. A'. MAOMASTER.

ELBGTRO MEDICAL GHA'IR. No. 424,012. Patented Mar. 25,1890.

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M. A. MAOMASTER.

BLEOTRO MEDICAL CHAIR.

No. 424,012. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIAN A. MACMASTER, OF UTIOA, NEV YORK.

ELECTRO-MEDICAL CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,012, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed October 3, 1889. Serial No. 325,918. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARIAN A. MAcMAs'rER, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Chairs; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric chairs for treatment by currents of electricity.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters and numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a chair having my improvements. Fig. 2 shows a back view of the back of the chair. Fig. 3 is a side view of the part shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views, hereinafter more fully explained. Fig. 6 shows an outline of the chair and the electric connections in full lines.

Referring more specifically to the referencenumerals, 1 indicates the chair. 2 is the back of the chair, which back is provided with electrodes 3 and 4. Electrodes 5 and 6 are provided with wires '7 and S, which connect with the battery. As electrodes 5 and 6 and their connections are the same, a description of one will suffice for both.

9,10, and 11 are projecting arms electrically connected with and pivoted upon electrode 5, and having preferably screw-threaded pins projecting downward so as to be brought in contact with any one of a series of electric buttons arranged about the main electrode, so that the screw-threaded pin upon the outer end of each of the arms, the arms being of unequal length, will come in contact with two or more buttons a a, &c., arranged upon the back of the chair. These buttons are connected by concealed wires with various parts of the chair--as, for instance, one button upon each side connects with a metal plate 19 on the arm of the chair, another with the leg, and through the leg with the foot-pads. Others connect with electrodes 3 and 4, and others pass to various parts of the chair, whereby currents can be passed to the various parts of the body of a person sitting in the chair. The connection between the buttons at a, &c., will be readily understood from Fig. 6, although this particular arrangement is not essential and may be much varied without departing from the principal features. The arms 9, 10, and 11, with the pins in their outer ends, act as switches. The foot-pads 12 are for convenience secured upon a board or stool 13, and are removably and electrically connected to the legs of the chair by wires and set-screws 14-, the connection extending through to one of the buttons at a upon the back of the chair, in each side surrounding each of the electrodes 5 and 6. The foot-pads consist of hollow tanks, preferably of about the form shown, which are adapted to be filled with water through closed opening 15, and are provided with plates 17, held within the tanks, so as to be insulated except for the water. A conducting-wire 16 is provided, connecting with the plates 17, which conductor-wire passes through an insulator 18 in the shell of the tank, so that the electric current passing to or from a patient who has his foot upon the foot-pad will be passed through the water and the water will act as a rheostat to the current. 16 is the current-wire,

connecting with plate 17 in the foot-pad,

through which the current in the leg of the chair is transmitted.

To electrodes 3 and at may be connected, by a wire 01' other flexible conductor, a moistened sponge or other suitable conductor, as shown at 20, Fig. 1, for special applications to the head or neck or a sore or diseased portion of the body of the patient.

The use and operation of my device will be readily understood; but it might be well to explain that an advantage of my construction and arrangements of the switches, electrodes, and buttons is that currents may be passed through one side of a person from the upper part of the body through to the opposite lower extremity, or currents may be passed from the upper portion of the body to the lower portion of the same side, and currents on each side simultaneously, if desired. Currents may also be passed from one lower extremity to the other, and may also be passed through the bare foot upon it or a substituted conductingsurface, which as ordinarily used is a sheetmetal plate, which is always cold.

It is evident that my construction of arms and switches might be varied, and that a bundie of electric conductor-wires might be passed in an insulated manner through the walls of the tank and then branched or spread, so as to provide a conductor-surface in contact with the water in lieu of plate 17, and that the construction of foot-pads might be varied and still retain the features of my invention, and that other alterations and changes might be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of my invention or the equiva lents of my c0nstructi0n.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mechanism for treatment by elec tricity, a foot-pad consisting of a cistern or tank and an insulated plate within the tank,

and a wire passing in an insulated manner through the walls of the tank and connecting with the plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric chair, the combination of the electrode, the electric buttons, two or more of which are arranged at equal distance from the electrode in each of two or more circles surrounding the electrode, the movable conductor-arms radiating from the electrode of unequal length, and the pins in the end of each, adapted to come in contact with the buttons, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mechanism for treatment by electricity, the combination of the chair having electric conductors passing to Various parts of the chair, the electrodes, the electric buttons connecting with the conductors passing to various parts of the chair, the buttons being arranged with two or more in a circle, with the electrode as a center, and in two or more circles of unequal radius, the arms pivoted to the electrodes and swinging over the various circles of buttons, the foot-pads consisting of a hollow tank or cistern electrically connected with the chai r and the battery, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARIAN A. MACMASTER. 'Witnesses:

JULIA -A. ADAMS, M. E. RoBINsoN. 

